A device for industrially producing loaves of cheese is known from EP-A-350777, for example. It comprises a filling press comprising a trough, which is rectangular and which is open on the top, for accommodating molds, a column frame for arranging a press head, which can be lifted and lowered, and a distributing head for supplying and metering the raw cheese mass into the molds, and a gantry wagon, which can be displaced on the trough, for guiding the distributing head and for handling a turning mechanism for the molds. Distributing head as well as turning mechanism must thereby be provided or changed manually, respectively. The wall of the mold consists of a perforated plate and a plurality of molds can be arranged in sets. Provision is made at the end surfaces of a set for cylindrical journals for docking a handling device.
EP-A-406899 shows a further development of such a device, in the case of which the molds are accommodated in cassettes, which, in turn, are arranged in a compact and row-like manner in the trough. Provision is made above the molds for a press head comprising press dies, which are oriented to the molds, for pressing the raw cheese mass.
The actual press mold is thereby surrounded by a pot-shaped jacket comprising an air supply duct (EP-B-1269832). An air duct is formed through this and the raw cheese mass, which adheres to the screen holes of the perforated plate of the mold, can be removed from the press hoop side after the pressing.
According to EP-B-543185, a mold or press cover, respectively, can be connected (in a self-centering manner) to the press die via a tilting device, so that a suction of the mold cover due to possible tilting movements is avoided at the cheese mass. The mold itself is round or square and can consist of an outer container and an inner, perforated jacket.
A further cheese mold comprising a perforated mold wall of metal is disclosed in DE-B-1030612. On its inner surface, this mold wall encompasses evenly distributed, low ridges and depressions of up to approx. 1 mm, which are not to damage the cheese rind in response to the removal of the loaf of cheese, even if the cheese is knocked out of the mold. According to DE-C-2823182, such a cheese mold comprising a perforated wall can also consist of plastic, on the inner side of which provision is made for grooves, which are parallel to one another, comprising a triangular cross section. The grooves are separated by means of ribs comprising breaks in the transition and one-part bottom area. The cleaning of such mold walls or double bottoms is extensive.